Trap.



J. H. MAXWELL.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912.

O0 1 9 1 n0 2 av u A d m H e t a P Fig- 5.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR,

Jamesllfldaxwellfltt 27a JA1VIE MAXWELL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

TRAP.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Application filedNovember 18, 19,12 Serial No. 732,175.

To all whom it may concern;

Be itfln ownthat l, J urns H. MAxwnnL, a citizen of the United Statesand resident of the city of fieattle in the. county of King and State oflVashington, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Traps,of which the followingis a specification.

My tinvention relates to traps and comprisescertainnovel constructionsand combinations which will be hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The object of myinvention is to provide a better and; more efiicienttrap and one which will be more likely to .catch the wary animals andthose which are hard to get in the usual types of traps.

In the acconipanying drawings I have shown my'invention embodied intbe'forms which are now preferred by me.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap withthenear side wall removedtovshow the inner construction and with a part ofthe top wall; insection, the trap being set. Fig. 2 is atop plan View with the coverremoved. Fig. 3 is a section on the line A, A, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end of the trap withthejdoor closed. Fig.5 is a" separate view of the door locking bar, 7

The body of this trap is constructed as a box 1, having its endsfopenvtoform a. through passage: or runwayv which may be closed by doors 2 ateach end thereof. The doors are preferably hinged by their upper edgesso as to swing upward and inward into the position shown in Fig. 1whent'he trap is set. In this position the trap constitutes a throughrunway, into which a wary animal is more apt to venture, than into a boxhaving only one opening.

Means are provided to. prevent the door swinging outward beyond theclosed position, said means as shownconsisting of a strip 10 at thebottom of the box or strips 11, one at each side of the opening, asshown at one end of the trap. Means for locking the doors in closedposit-ion are also provided. The means shown consist in providing theupper or hinged edges of the doors with a transverse notch and a lockingbar 6 to cooperate therewith. The locking bar has a hole near its innerend through which a nail may be placed to secure it loosely to the roofof the trap. Its outer or door-engaging end has a reduced finger 60,thus forming shoulders 61. The bar is secured in such position that thefinger is in position to jdroninto the notch 20 in the door wheuthedooris closed and the shoulders 61 to engage the innersurface of thedoor and prevent its beingopened. This position is shown in Fig, 4E; Thefinger projects enough that it may be engaged from the outside to raisethe bar and free'the door.

The means for setting thetrap and for holding thedoors in raisedposition are as follows: Secured to the top of the runway andextendinglengthwise therunway, just inward from the doors, are two bars 3, sosupported that they may have a limlted movement lengthwise the runway.As herein shown each bar is provided with a, wire staple 30 and. this isengaged by two screw eyes 31 which depend from the top. The length ofthese door holding bars 3 are such thatwhen their outer endsareagainst'the inner edges of the doors, their inner ends are separatedsomewhat and are placed opposite. Between these opposed inner ends isthen placed a trip member consisting, as herein shown, of a bare: whichextends across the trap andprojects its end through holes e1 in thesides of the trap body. surfaces of the bars 3, as well as the engagingsurfaces of the trip bar at, may be made slightly beveled, if desired,so that when the trip bar isinserted between the ends of the bars 3 itwill force them outward against the ends of the doors 2 with suflicientpressure to overcome, by the friction of contact, the weight of thedoor. Thetrip bar 4 is supported wholly by the frictional grip of theends of the bars 8, andthis may be so adjusted that a very slightadditional weight, or a little movement, will cause the disengagementofthe trip bar and then the doors will be unsupported and fall.

The central portion of the bottom of the runwayis formed by a plate orplates which are supported in raised position from the tripbar l-, sothat when an animal gets to this point and steps on said plate the trapwill be sprung and the doors closed. I have shown two boards 5 as lyingwithin a recess in the bottom caused by removal of the central portionof the bottom of the box 1. Beneath the meeting edges of these boards 5extends a bar 51, its ends projecting through holes 50 in the sides ofthe trap. The bars 4L and 51 are connected, as by wires 40 outside thebox, so that the bar 51 and the trip plates 5 are supported from the Theinner end trip bar 4. The opening caused by the removal of a section ofthe bottom is preferably closed by a sheet of metal, 52. Where theanimal sought to be caught is capable of gnawing wood, the interior ofthe box may be lined with metal plates.

As a convenience in setting the trap, the doors are provided with meanswhereby they may be held raised while setting. The means shown consistsof a hook 7 which projects through hole 70 in the top, beneath whichhook may be placed a stick or any convenient small object, this to beremoved after the trap is set. The top is also provided with a hole 42over the trip bar, whereby the setting of the parts may be facilitated.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is;

1. In a trap, in combination, a box having an entrance opening, a doorhinged at its upper edge to close said opening, a doorholding membersupported from the top of said boX and movable toward and from the doorand adapted to support the door when raised by the friction of itsthrust engagement with the edge surface of the door, a trip memberadapted to engage the other end surface of said door-holding member toforce it toward the door and supported in position by the friction ofsaid thrust engagement, and a trip plate supported from said trip memberand forming a part of the runway floor.

2. In a trap, in combination, a body forming a through runway, doorsclosing the ends of said runway and swinging inward, two longitudinallymovable door-holding bars, each in position to engage an end surfacethereof with an edge surface of its respective door to hold the doorsopen by the friction produced by its end thrust, a trip member adaptedto be inserted between the adjacent end surfaces of said door-holdingbars to thrust them apart, and supported by the friction produced bysaid thrust, a trip plate forming a section of the runway floor andmeans for supporting said trip plate from said trip member.

3. In a trap, in combination, a box-like body having open ends andforming a through runway, doors hinged by their upper edges to closesaid runway and to swing upward and inward, means preventing said doorsswinging outward, locks adapted to engage said doors to hold them Lopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

when closed, a setting catch for each door, door holding memberscomprising two alined bars extending and supported to move lengthwisesaid runway with an end of each in position to engage the edge surfaceof its respective door when raised and with their other ends opposed, atripping or releasing member insertible between the opposed end surfacesof said bars to force them outward against the doors, a trip plate inthe bottom of said runway and means for supporting said trip plate inraised position from said releasing member.

4. A trap comprising a body in the shape of a box having opposite endsopen to form a through runway, a door for closing each end of therunway, means for locking said doors when closed, means for holding saiddoors in opened position comprising members movable lengthwise saidrunway and with opposed and adjacent ends, a trip bar insertible betweenthe ends of said members and held in place by the friction produced bythe thrust thereof, a trip plate in the bottom of the runway andsupporting con nections for said plate from the trip bar.

5. A trip device for traps comprising a trip member, a support for thetrip member having opposed surfaces between which the trip member isplaced and supported by the friction of its thrust engagement therewith,a trip plate and "connections therefrom to the trip member adapted tohold said trip plate raised when the trip member is in set position.

6. In a trap, in combination, a body forming a through runway, doorshinged at the ends of said runway to swing upward and inward, said doorshaving a transverse notch in their hinged edges, a door locking barhaving a finger adapted to pass through said notch and shoulders adaptedto engage the face of the door at the sides of the notch, and means forloosely supporting the inner end of said bar with the shoulders of theother end in position to engage the face of the door and the finger toenter the notch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature at Seattle,Washington, this 31st day of October, 1912.

J AMES I-I. MAXNELL.

WVitnesses:

H. L. REYNOLDS, FRED W. DRICKEN.

Washington, D. C.

